About the Screening
Happy Valley takes an unflinching look at an iconic American institution in the wake of unthinkable scandal. Nestled in the idyllic area known as Happy Valley lies State College, home of Penn State University. For over 40 years, Joe Paterno was their celebrated head football coach, revered in a town where team loyalty approaches nationalistic fervor. But everything changed in 2011, when longtime assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was charged with 40 counts of child sex abuse, setting off a firestorm of accusations.
Filmed over the year after Sandusky’s arrest, Happy Valley deconstructs the story we think we know to uncover a much more complicated and tragic tale. Amir Bar-Lev creates an indelible portrait of a wounded community and an engrossing investigation into the role big time football played in both the crimes and their aftermath.